Gone Astray
by Mehgo
Summary: 4/27/11: AU Lightning finds herself lost after intense battle. Cocoon was invaded from outsiders and now it's up to her Cloud, and others to find out what's going on. FF7 & FF13 worlds intertwined together.
1. 7th Heaven

This is my 4th fic. I rarely update, which I feel bad about. I sort of loose touch with what I'm going on about sometimes.

But, none the less, another mutlichapter fic submitted in an AU of Final Fantasy 7 and 13.

Some backstory for now:

Lightning finds herself lost after intense battle. Cocoon was invaded from outsiders and now it's up to her and others to find out what's going on. She first meets Tifa, Cloud and the kids. Eventually, more character from 7 and 13 will show up. I have a basic outline of what I'd like to accomplish in this story, and hopefully I will finish it!

This chapter is a little short, at least for what I like to write, but I figured it was enough to get us started :]

Please enjoy, obvious I do not own anything and don't make money off this. Please review if that's your thing :P

* * *

_GASP_.

She choked for a few seconds on the air; her eyes wide open in shock. She looked around for a few seconds and steadied her breath. Her chest heaved as she pressed her hands tightly to her chest.

_Where the hell am I_? Her bright blue eyes wandered around the room she was in. When the imagery around her began to sink in, she found herself in what looked to be a child's bedroom. Drawings pinned to the walls and framed wooden photos resting on the nightstands. She calmed down a bit and tried to ease her mind from the possible worst case scenario she had been contemplating.

The woman sat up and shifted to the edge of the bed and swung her feet down to the hardwood floor. She could hear some traffic from outside but for the most part, it was quiet. She could hear below her some rattling of glasses and some chatter from what sounded like a small girl and her mother.

Pushing herself up slowly from the bed, she managed to get up rather well from her unconscious state she was in previously and staggered to the bedroom door. The stomping around from her must have been heard because immediately the conversation had stopped. Then, from a distance she could hear footsteps heading up a set of stairs and towards the bedroom. Panicking slightly she pressed her body against the door and pinning it shut so even if an intruder tried to come in, they would have to execute with force.

Pulling her pale pink her behind her ears, she began to search herself of any weapons. Noticing now rather than before, she saw her jacket, boots and gloves had been missing. She felt nearly naked in only her brown sleeveless turtleneck and short skirt.

As the footsteps nearly reached the door, she could her heart pumping loudly in her ears.

_Damnit._

She then heard three soft knocks. Her knees buckled and she covered her mouth to hold her breath.

Then two more knocks. "Hello?" A soft voice was heard. She allowed herself to breath but remained silent.

A slight giggle was then heard from outside. _Is she laughing at me?_

"It's alright! I'm not going to bite! I just want to see if you're alright!"

The pale haired woman turned to face the door and slowly turned it open, only allowing her left eye to peak out to see who was waiting outside for her. When she looked to see who it was, a slightly shorter black-brown haired woman stood outside with her arms crossed over her chest. She had a smile on her face.

"See, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Backing away from the door the pale haired woman let the other in and sat down on the child's bed.

"Rough time, you had it," The dark haired woman began. "Found you outside on the street of Sector 6 near the edge of rubble of 7." She itched the side of her face and brushed away her bangs from her face.

Sitting on the bed confused, the pale haired woman looked at the other blankly.

The dark haired woman shifted her weight. "Hm… Not from around here. Okay… Well, my names Tifa. Tifa Lockhart."

"Tifa…" the pale haired girl said quietly. "Why am I here?"

Tifa shrugged. "That's what I came upstairs to as you, frankly."

There was an uncomfortable still in the room.

Tifa broke the silence soon enough. "Have a name yourself?"

The pale haired woman paused for a second. "Lightning."

"Nickname?"

"Sort of."

Tifa walked over slowly and sat down next to Lightning a good arms distance. "What's the last thing you remember?"

It took Lightning a minute to think. Before the darkness, where was she? Nothing comes to mind.

"I-I can't remember a thing," she says under her breath, rubbing her palms across her face.

Tifa sighed and placed a hand on Lightning's shoulder. "Let's get you cleaned up. The bathroom is down the hall to your left. Towels and everything you need are there."

Minutes later, Lightning changed back into her clothes and walked down the hallway to find the stairs leading down. She opened the door at the bottom and found herself not in a house but a bar set up with tables and booths scattered about with Tifa behind the counter stocking shelves.

"Is this her?" the small girl whispered into Tifa's ear after pulling her shirt down from several tugs.

Tifa patted the girl's hand away and said, "Yes, yes, don't pull on my shirt, Marlene! Go over and introduce yourself and be nice!"

Whipping her body away from Tifa, the little brunette skipped over and stopped right at Lightning's feet. She smiled a gappy-toothed smile and looked over to Tifa and quickly looked back up at Lightning's face.

"Hi! I let you take my bed because Cloud said you were sick and I shared with Tifa so it's okay! I'm Marlene, Denzel isn't here yet, he's with Cloud, but he wants to meet you! We weren't allowed to talk to you yet because Cloud said you were sleeping and that if we woke you up, you would be even more sick! But man-oh-man! You were asleep for four days!" The little girl began to spit and sputter without, what it seemed like, taking a breath. She wagged her finger for Lightning to lean in closer. Marlene began to whisper at her, "Shh, don't tell Tifa, but I snuck in and left you a card I drew myself, it says 'Get Well Soon!' Didja see it?"

Lightning overwhelmed with the one sided conversation tried to backtrack in her head what she remembered seeing while being in the girl's room. She recollected no such card. "…no," she answered shaking her head.

"WHAT? Ohmygosh, follow me!" Marlene grabbed Lightning's wrist and dragged her back up the steps into her room. The girl then jumped and bounced over to the other side of the bed and grabbed the folded note. She crawled over the comforter and handed Lightning the card. It was a crude line drawing of Lightning with more saturated pink hair, Tifa's long dark hair, and two other figures she didn't recognize. In the child's writing on the inside of the card had _GET WELL SOON_ in large cursive writing while under was a heart drawn with red pen reading "Love, 7th Heaven."

Marlene then grabbed the card right from Lightning's hands, surprising her slightly and having the front drawing being displayed under her chin. Marlene pointed to the brown haired stick figure. "This is Denzel. He's ten years old." She then pointed to a blond figure with jagged spikes everywhere. She exclaimed again, "And this is Cloud! I don't know how old he is but he lives here too."

Lightning sat down next to Marlene on the bed. She wasn't much for liking children, but she found it rather sweet this stranger of a child drew her a card without even knowing who or what. "Is this your family?"

"Sorta," Marlene replied. She held the picture close to her small stomach and looked down with a sigh. "Tifa and Cloud are friends who live here. Daddy is working and can't see me. But he calls me every night and tells me loves me!"

Lightning was lost for words. "Oh..." was the only proper response she could muster.

Marlene again pointed to the drawing of the boy. "Cloud found Denzel by the Church and since he has no parents, he lives with us now. And because Cloud found you, I drew you because you're like Denzel and maybe you can come live with us, unless your parents are looking for you then we have to give you back to them."

Lightning shifted herself. Her and Denzel had quite the bit in common. "I wouldn't worry about my parents…"

"Haven't you got any?" Lightning just shook her head. Marlene frowned a little and scooted closer to Lightning. "So are you going to live with us?"

Lightning shook her head again. "I think I'm a little too old to adopt."

Marlene let out a smile and then jumped over to the door. "I'm going downstairs, come with me!" Pushing herself up, she followed Marlene down to the bar again, appreciating her wrists not being pulled at.

Down at the bar, Tifa was cooking a pot of noodles and chopping up some meat. She smiled at the two new friends. "Hungry? It's been a while," she offered up to Lightning. She hadn't thought about food at all yet, but the sound of it immediately made her stomach gurgle.

"I suppose. Four days since I was last awake?" Lightning responded.

"Since we found you," Tifa corrected, "Could've been longer. Here pull yourself up at the bar, I'll get you some water."

After serving dinner to herself, Lightning and Marlene, she began asking some questions for her new guest. "So, where do you say you're from?"

Lightning swallowed a gulp of water. "Bodhum."

Tifa looked at her strangely. "What?"

Lightning looked at her back confused as well. "Bodhum. Cocoon." Tifa's face remained the same. Lightning dropped her silverware and put her face in her hands. "Where the hell am I?" she spat in frustration.

Tifa, about to console her, whipped her head at the door to see a young boy and man walk through the entrance of the restaurant. "Cloud, Denzel, welcome back."

Denzel ran over and popped a seat opposite of Tifa next to Lightning. "Are you feeling better yet?" he asked her excitedly. She gave no response and still kept her face inside her palms.

"Denzel, go take Marlene upstairs," The blond haired man said to the boy.

"But I—"

"Go." It was a demand, but lacked harshness at all.

"Fiiiine, c'mon Marlene," Denzel moaned, waving Marlene to follow him.

She took one last bit of noodle before she skipped up stairs. Before walking through the door, she waved at Lightning and yelled, "Goodnight, feel better!"

Once the door from the upstairs shut, Cloud unloaded his gear onto a booth and sat in the same seat Denzel had next to their new guest. He took a deep sigh and looked down at the counter.

"Lightning, right?" he asked.

"…"

"What were doing down by The Ruins?" he asked more sternly.

She uncovered her eyes and pierced hers into his. "I don't even know where I am! I don't know what Sector 6 or 7 is; I don't know what The Ruins are; and I don't know what 7th Heaven is. I. Don't. KNOW!" Lightning barked back, slamming her fists down on the bartop.

Tifa, put her hand over Lightning's. "Calm down, please, the children—"

"I don't care! Where the hell am I? Why am I here and not on Cocoon?"

There was dead silence. Tifa shifted away and looked down at her lap. "You're in the 7th Heaven. That's the name of this restaurant."

Lightning calmed for a minute. Now she was getting some answers. "And what city…land am I in?"

Cloud answered next. "This is Edge. The place you were found at was in Midgar. Your on the same land mass as Junon and the Grasslands."

Lightning just shook her head. "Nothing."

"I don't know at this point. You can stay here as long as you like, but we need to ask you some more questions," Tifa informed her. Lightning just stayed quiet.

"The weapons and armor you had, you were in the military?" Cloud asked gravely.

Lightning nodded. "_Was_. I left when I went looking for my sister."

"SOILDER?" he asked.

"What? No," she answered harshly. Guardian Corps. Protectors of Cocoon. Was until I—" she cut herself short. Memories came rushing into her head. He remembers battling, fighting her way through civilians and soldiers alike. She remembers a foreign enemy, completely strange looking people fighting her and her comrades.

"I-I remember… It was battle," she slowly began spitting out. Cloud and Tifa leaned in closer to pay attention. Lightning continued. "It was night and we were attacked… A foreign enemy. They came in a great ship from the sky. I was with my sister, Serah, at the time it happened." Another short pause. "We were having lunch when I was called to duty. I left her…I was stupid. When the enemy got closer to the town, I ran away from the front lines. I had to find Serah… The captain, he said if I ran I was relieved from duty." Lightning swallowed heavily. "I didn't care. I had to find Serah. Before I made it back to the café, I was ambushed." Searching hard into her memory, Lightning fell onto a blank spot, gap in the story. "Sorry… I don't remember anything after that."

Silence crept upon them again as they sat and contemplated Lightning' story. It was a lot of information to take in at once, and yet, nothing seemed to make much sense. Cloud could only imagine one scenario in which once Lightning was ambushed, she was then kidnapped. But then that didn't explain why she ended up so far from where she was.

Cloud lifted himself from the stool and began to leave the bar to the upstairs. "I'll be in the office."

Tifa nodded and remained seated alongside Lightning. "All I can think of right now is just letting you stay. If you want, the children's room is yours for now." Lightning just nodded. "I know its just midday, but it might be best for you to rest some more. I'll leave some clothes out for you and I'll wash what you're wearing," Tifa said, not really offering but telling Lightning the game plan."

"Where are my other things?" Lightning then asked.

"Your clothes are in the children's closet. Everything else is in the weapon's closet in Cloud's office. You need to ask him to retrieve it. We don't want the kid's getting a hold of anything, ya know?" Lightning, though very different in personality from Tifa, liked her. She came off as kind and caring, but still strong willed and smart. She was even slightly envious of that personality. She had never really met anyone like that.

Lightning removed herself from the stool and slowly walked to the door up the bedrooms. She turned to look at Tifa. Her piercing blue eyes eased a bit. "Thank you, Tifa."

The dark haired woman just smiled and nodded. "Holler if you need anything." Lightning just nodded back.

* * *

Chapter 2:

Lightning gets situated and the gang begin an investigation of The Ruins of Sector 7


	2. Rumors and Ruins

Such a positive response on the first chapter alone -_- omg,thanks.

Umb, I got a question about what relationships are going to happen, etc.

Uh, I dunno to be honest.

I kinda don't have everything planned yet. Lightning was always such a dry person, I can't see anything falling in love with her, let alone bang her. Can you imagine? Missionary, derp derp.

Anywho, this entire chapter is chit chat and figuring out why the hell ff7 and ff13 could correlate at all.

It's all a great stretch and I hope my readers buy it. If not I tried T_T

Anyway, I just have to thank everyone who is giving this a chance. I love you all and don't even know you.

* * *

A loud knock had awoken the delirious Lightning, not from the children's door, but form the bar. She turned over onto her side when suddenly she jumped. Hearing glass break from down stairs, she rushed into the closet to grab her jacket, boots and armor. While still slipping on her gloves, she burst through the door to see Cloud and Tifa at the ready.

Standing opposite from the two hosts were men dressed in black suits, one disheveled red head with a ponytail and his bald partner in sunglasses. The red head cracked his neck and pulled out a long metal shaft and tapped it to his shoulders.

"Well, well, there was no need for that now, was it?" the red head said, snickering at Tifa.

"What do you want, Reno?" she barked back kicking a piece of broken glass at them.

He caught the glass under his boots and just shoved it aside and continued to sneer. "Just idle, chit-chat, nothing more. Geeze-oh-man, what can a guy do to get a drink around her, yo?"

Tifa remind with her fists up but Cloud eased his arms down. "What do you want?" he asked more calmly but with a firm sense of authority.

The bald man stretched his arm out to point at Lightning and said, "She's coming with us."

Reno stepped forward, "Hand over quietly and no harm is done. Rude's got a hot date and doesn't want to get blood on his hands, dealio?" The suited bald man shifted uncomfortably and adjusted his glasses.

"As if!" Tifa spat.

Lightning looked at the men in suits and then back at Cloud and Tifa. She then proceed to walk in the middle of the feud and stomp her foot to get attention. She glared at the Reno and Rude before saying anything.

Cloud reached out to stop her, but she snapped, "I need to know what the hell is going on! Who the hell are these two?"

"Honestly, it doesn't matter sweetheart, you just come along with us, and like we said, no problems," Reno spoke out again, leaving no reassurance.

Tifa yanked Lightning from the open area and back towards Cloud and herself. "Keep away from these creeps. These guys work for Shinra and you best keep your distance."

Lightning grabbed her arm back and glared at Tifa. "What do they want with me?"

Reno answered for Tifa. "That's top secret info, babe."

"Forget it, go," Cloud ordered the men in suits.

"Afraid we can't that," Rude replied.

Tifa, having enough of the cryptic messages, lunged forward and swung at the Reno, causing him to jump backwards, and fail his arms to keep balance. Cloud, following Tifa, lunged at Rude, pinning him up against the wall by the neck, holding him a few inches higher than he.

"Get lost, Turks!" Tifa yelled, swinging at Reno again, him ducking also once more.

Reno attempted to fight back at him, but easily parried and caught him in a turn around, having the red head facing the door. Feeling a swift kick, he felt himself flying out the door and landing on the rough cement outside the bar. He quickly whipped around to look up at the bar to only find himself being pummeled by his own partner being thrown out on top of him.

The door slammed shut and Tifa flipped the lock to keep anything else unwanted for coming inside. Lightning slowly approached the duo and began pointing at Tifa and Cloud.

"Okay, and who were they?" she demanded.

Tifa wiped her hands off on her skirt and replied, "Shinra scum. Keep away from them or anyone for that matter in a suit."

Lightning shifted weight to her other leg. Annoyed, she asked, "And what's Shinra? What are they doing looking for me?"

Cloud shook his head. "Don't know what they want." He scratched the back of his shoulder. "Just stay away from them. They're messed up."

Lightning still wasn't satisfied. "Who are they? What's Shinra?"

"A failed energy company. Screwed up a lot and are now looking to exploit anything and anyone at this point. Bad news," Tifa finally answer, in a quick summary.

Cloud took a deep breath. "Which is why we have to figure out how you got to be here. If Shinra knows something we don't we better figure out they're plan with you."

Lightning seemed unsettled. "I wouldn't know anything, this is ridiculous, I—" she paused for a second. "Do you two think… No. Wait a minute…" She turned away from them and rubbed her face.

Tifa's eyes widened. "Cloud, get Cid on the phone!"

Cloud didn't question Tifa's command and grabbed his black cell phone from his pocket. Once he began dialing a number, a creaking sound in a door from opening and Denzel's head appeared from the crack.

"Tifa…" his voice softly carried out as the three adults turned to him. "Is everything okay? Marlene and I…uh…"

Tifa rushed over to him and kneeled beside him at the door. She began whispering words of comfort to him and told him to go back up stairs and tell Marlene that everything was going to be okay. He nodded obediently and ran back up, Tifa shutting the stair door slowly behind him.

She smiled softly at Lightning. "They'll be okay."

Lightning didn't really care but just shrugged back. Both turned their heads over to Cloud who had just gotten the other party to answer the phone.

"Tifa wanted me to call you…" he said slowly, his eyes slowly turning at her. Loud ranting was heard from the other end that was a bit difficult to decipher.

Tifa rolled her eyes and stretched out her hand, commanding that he give it over to her. Cloud handed her the phone and Tifa quickly threw it up to her ear.

"Cid? Cid! Shh, shh, I need to know something important. Yeah, I get you're a busy man, but this is important!" She began pleading over the phone. The receiver was blasting profanities until she could speak again. "Okay, okay. Look, you've been monitoring aircrafts coming in and out of here right? What? No, I mean—not planes! Cid, listen!" The frustration in having a conversation with this man was already taking its toll on her. "Okay, have you been monitoring anything coming in and out the borders lately? Okay I get it, you're not border patrol, but you said…What?" A very quiet silence began as the voice on the receiver got more still. The sounds were muffled as Lightning and Cloud creeped in a little closer towards Tifa.

"Oh… Can you come to the bar tonight. I think everyone needs to be in on this. Yeah… Okay bye," she finally said, wrapping up the conversation.

Lightning crossed her arms. "And?"

Tifa looked over to hear while handing Cloud's phone back to him. "Cid's coming over. Doesn't sound good."

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "What's Shinra up to now?" he asked sternly.

Tifa shook her head. "It's not Shinra. Cid'll be here in an hour." That's all the information she left them as she began tending to cleaning the bar for Cid's arrival. Cloud stuffed his phone back into his pocket and briskly walked up into his office. Lightning stood for a moment before she decided to sit at a booth and pick at a loose tread on her gloves.

She glanced over to Tifa once she snapped the thread and rolled it up into itself and flicked it across the table. "Tifa?" she said, asking for her attention.

"Hm?" she replied looking up almost instantly.

Lightning put her chin on her palms relaxing her posture. "Who's Cid?"  
Tifa broke her stare to keep cleaning. "He's a pilot. Cid's a long time friend of mine and Cloud. He's been keeping tabs on flights around the world. It's kind of his hobby."

Lightning looked at her confused. "So, what does this have to do with those guys in the suits and that company or whatever?"

Tifa put a glass away in a cupboard and turned toward Lightning. "People have been… well, flight crazy"

Lightning lifted her head and peered harder at Tifa. "And?"

Tifa started to walk towards Lightning in the booth seating. "And, that means people have been in and out of here unmonitored. And since Shinra's failure, all the patents and technology they'd invented has gotten out to public and now little organizations are taking their ideas and inventing their own… their own whatevers." Tifa sat down across from Lightning, flustered rubbing her forehead.

Lightning gave her a skeptical look. "So, the people aren't governed by a totalitarian company. Freedom to make their own market—"

"No! You don't understand, Shinra is full of sick people. The experiments they performed, the technology they had… None of this should've been repeated!" Tifa pulled at her hair for a second. She then locked desperate eyes with Lightning, who now was feeling rather uncomfortable. "Look, those patents were supposed to stay secret, but the President of Shinra decided it'd be a good idea to release all of Shinra's dirty secrets, as a way to come clean. The people should've been horrified by the atrocities that had happened, but now they're using Shinra's technology for themselves. At this point, I don't know what's happening. It's chaos."

A quiet somber feeling began to set in the restaurant. Lightning took a heavy sigh and fidgeted with her navy leather gloves. She could see how much this was problem to these people. But what did any this have to do with her? As attached as she was starting to become to her hosts, she still felt like her problems were her own. As for the situation this place was in, she couldn't really find herself banding together and saving the world, or something less dramatic.

Cloud then came through the stairway door and made his way over to the booth where Lightning and Tifa were sitting. Tifa scooted over to make room for him to sit. Once Cloud sat he began rubbing his temples.

"What's wrong?" Tifa asked, trying to make eye contact with him, but he remained staring down at the table.

"I just talked to Barret. He said something about Corel now exporting scrap metal to a bunch of privately owned companies. He said 'Business is booming' but I don't know Tifa. It doesn't look good to me," he answered back. He voice was distant. To Lightning, something was ticking in his brain.

"I bet it's to those idiots out of Junon," she spat out.

Cloud just shrugged. "I don't know what's with everyone's sudden interest in building aircrafts."

They sat for a minute. Lightning didn't want to interfere but she felt the need to interject somehow. "Do you think they're getting paid?"

Cloud and Tifa both looked at her.

She repeated herself again. "Do you think people are getting paid to build machinery? Aircrafts, you know?"

"But who would be paying them?" Tifa asked. "It's individual companies, people are just making things and using them."

Lightning shook her head. "I mean, think. A bunch of companies come out of nowhere since this Shinra stuff went under. People don't know what to do with themselves, so they get their hands on these patents. They all start building, but for what? Not everyone can fly a plane. So, they sell them to a bigger company with the resources to use them. In turn, people keep their jobs, and whomever is flying around doing whatever people do."

Tifa covered her mouth. Cloud, who until them, seemed aloof and disinterested in anything had wide glaring eyes.

"Yeah, but okay, who has enough money to keep buying so many aircrafts?" Cloud said, his voice becoming slightly louder.

Lightning shrugged. "I dunno, who has all the money?"

Tifa and Cloud just shrugged. "That's the problem, no one does," answered Tifa. "but what you said makes perfect sense. People are just starting to manufacture and places like Corel are now back in business."

Lightning leered. "Corel, some kind of dead city?"

"Pretty much," answered Cloud.

A few minutes passed as the trio sat and exchanged thoughts until a loud knock came from the outside doors. Cloud let Tifa out of the booth and she rushed over to the door. She was greeted by a middle-aged man with short blond hair that was pushed back by a pair of pilot goggles. He threw his cigarette out to the street and made way into the bar. Tifa followed and decided to change spots, seating herself next to Lightning while Cid took her seat next to Cloud.

Cid sniffed and rubbed his nose and gave a exaggerated look over at Lightning. "Who's the new kid?"

Lightning already pressed her lips and folded her arms across her chest, glaring at the old pilot across from her.

"Lightning, this is Cid," Tifa said, giving Cid a look of disapproval. Her eyes read, 'knock it off,' but Cid just managed to roll his eyes.

"Lightning, Cloud, Jesus, what shitty weather we're having," he barked.

Cloud ignored the comment and began to speak. "Cid, we need to know about all these aircrafts being build. What are people doing?"

Cid sat back and took in a deep breath. "Back home, I got signals coming from ships all the time. And they all seem to be landing just outside Prison Town. Them from there, the monitors get all haywire and don't pick up shit."

"Are they blocking any signals coming into the area?" Tifa asked.

"Shit, hell if I know. They got something going on and there aren't any readings leaving. Everything's coming in and staying. And to hell goin' there, you get lost, Corel will just pick up your left over's and throw you to the dogs. I ain't steppin' foot in that shit hole," Cid said.

Cloud rubbed his eyes. "Do you think Shinra's involved?"

Cid gruffed, "Naw, those bastards are up to shit, but this doesn't sound like them. They just as well as you and I don't want to go near that prison."

"Then who?" Lightning asked impatiently. No one answered. She began to lose hope. "If none of you are willing to investigate your own issues, that's fine. This is none of my business. But I want to know is how I got here and why I ended up where I was."

Cid looked at her funny. "Ended up? What, you just like, fell outta the sky or somethin'?"

Lightning scowled. "Might as well! Who knows, maybe you all are building a bunch of rocket ships and kidnapping people and then throwing us out windows into blown up rubble and whatever stupid things that everyone is doing around here!" She was now standing, slamming her fist down on the table. "I want to get out of here and go home! And if that means going to some prison in some snowy mountain, I'll do it!"

Everyone now sat in uncomfortable silence. Cid just looked at her like she was crazy. "The hell you say you're from?" he asked.

Lightning sat down hard and took a deep sigh. "Bodhum," She paused. "On Cocoon."

A light when on in Cid's brain. He said nothing but his eyes widened and were moving across the table as if he was reading intensely into newspaper spread across the surface. "Cocoon? You don't…That's crazy. Have you been checked out recently?" Cid began spewing out more and more accusations and questions at Lightning.

Offended, Lightning retorted, "No, I'm not insane! I'm part of the Guardian Forces to protect Cocoon. They wouldn't hire crazies! I was taken hostage and now I find myself in this place of ruin and chaos! And you're accusing me of insanity? Maybe I should've gone with those guys in the suits earlier; maybe they'd have some real answers!"

Tifa bit her lip. "Reno and Rude made a drop by."

Cid rolled his eyes again. "The hell they want now?" Tifa just nudged her head towards Lightning, "The hell the know we don't, those bastards."

Lightning had enough small talk. "You tell me right now damnit, why I'm being accused on being crazy or I'm giving myself up to those guys from before!"

Cid waved her sit down. "Alright, alright, don't get your panties in more of a twist than they already are. Sit your ass down." Lightning eased herself back into her seat but remained on edge. "Look, this 'Cocoon' you say you're from, well, up until now, didn't exist but in rumors. Alright, everyone at this table except for you isn't supposed to know about 'Cocoon'."

Tifa gave him a questionable look. "Supposed to know? Then why is it you aren't completely confused as we are, Cid?"

"Aw hell, Tifa, I'm confused as shit," he responded, "Just not in the same way. You see, when Shinra has me under their orders, they told me that during my first flight into space, I'd be heading to some satellite or whatever. Then, while in training, they told me that I'd be on Cocoon, an orbiting object that was abandoned by the Shinra Space Project years ago. I was told it was a remains of an older meteor or something they sent people to inhabit as an experiment. It failed, and was left to rot in space, and everything with it. Then, after learning all that shit, they gave me the boot and told me to never speak of it again."

Tifa and Cloud eyes were in disbelief. Lightning was a bit more at ease than before. "Well, that's something."

Cid rubbed his face. "Up until now, I figured it was just some myth set up by Shinra. Even until this day, no information was released about Cocoon."

Lightning unfolded her arms. "Well, until today, you didn't think that there are entire populations and cities roaming Cocoon. And until now, you didn't realize that people are now dying and in war. And until now, you didn't think anything outside of this place didn't concern you." Lightning let her face fall into her hands. "Serah is still there. And for all I know, she could be dead now." She cringed and then looked up to Cid. "And I don't give a damn if you get your ass thrown into that shit hole prison, you're going to take me to it, and you're going to get me out of here, you hear me?"

Cid threw down a fist. "Who the hell are you to tell me what the hell I'm going to do? I'll go on my own time, and right now ain't it!"

Cloud put up his hand. "Stop, guys." His voice remained calm. "Look, we'll go to Corel Prison tomorrow and see what's going on. Until then, rest up here. We have a long day ahead of us."

Tifa looked up to Cloud. "But, who'll watch Marlene and Denzel?"

Cloud closed his eyes and thought. When he opened again Tifa already seemed to have an answer. "I'm sorry, Tifa."

She just nodded and gave a weak smile. "It's no biggie. Just be careful. Denzel will freak if he never sees you again."

Cloud quietly nodded. "I promise."

Cid stretched his arms out and yawned, "Well, I'm going to have another smoke and call it a night, I'll be at the inn if ya need me." At that, the old pilot left the bar and the other three left upstairs for the night.

When morning came, Cid was already at the restaurant bright and early drinking coffee Tifa provided him with when she woke up to make Denzel and Marlene breakfast, where they now sat in one of the booths. Lightning rubbed her eyes and sat down on one of the bar stools and adjusted one of the buckles on her left boot. Tifa handed her a cup of black coffee. Lightning nodded in thanks and sipped on the steaming glass. Minutes later when Lightning reached half a cup, Cloud made his way through the stairway door equipped with a blade as tall as he was and at least a foot wide. In his hand, he had a familiar object to Lightning. Inside of its leather holster, her sword and gun contraption was folded tenderly as it was engineered to.

"Yours, right?" Cloud asked, handing the holster to her. She accepted it and attached it to her brown leather belt at her waist.

"I was wondering when I'd be seeing this again," she said, teasing.

Tifa came around from behind the counter holding another mug full of coffee with both her hands. She offered it to Cloud but he just held out his hand shook his head. She took it back, holding it close to her chest.

"The kids wanted to stay home and see you off," she said, only looking at Cloud. Her expression was much somber than from the day before.

Marlene finished taking a bite of egg and ran over to hug around Cloud's knees. Cloud managed to keep his balance as he gave a weak hug around her small head. She looked up to him with her large brown eyes and whimpered, "I'll miss you!"

Cloud gave her a feeble smile back and released him for her grasp. Denzel, who quietly had made his way over to the adults, he sighed and too hugged Cloud, though much higher at his waist. "You promised we'd go riding sometime." Cloud gave the boy an apologetic look and rested his leather glove on top of Denzel's shoulder.

"We're still going to. I promised Tifa I'd come back in one piece," Cloud said, trying to sound reassuring.

"You better!" Denzel said, with more enthusiasm.

Cid gave the kids hugs as well, saying his pieces to them. Marlene then walked up in front of Lightning, who had been waiting now by the edge of the bar, resting her elbows on the countertop.

"I thought you were going to be apart of our family, but Tifa said you're going home now," the young girl said sadly.

"Sorry kid. I don't belong here," Lightning replied.

"If you wanted to stay you could," Marlene pleaded.

Lightning sighed, "I have people to take care of back home. You have Tifa and Cloud and others. People need me too."

Marlene just nodded and understood. She ran back over to Tifa and hugged her knees. Denzel gave a weak hug to Lightning and stood next to Marlene. Tifa escaped for the girl's grasp and gave Cid and Cloud both endearing hugs. When she made it over to Lightning, she hunched over slightly and held her left arm in her other hand.

"Well… I mean, if you ever end up back here…" she began, unsure of how to wrap up their short visit.

"I'll know where to look," Lightning finished, her voice the most relaxed it had been the entire time.

Tifa nodded in approval. "Good luck then."

"Thank you," Lightning at last said.

Cloud, Cid and Lightning then made their way out the door and into the open city of Edge to begin their journey.

* * *

For some reason, I can imagine Cloud being a smoker. I might make him one.

After all the bullshit he went through, shit, I'd be a chimney.

But anywho, Next chapter they'll probably all be traveling through Gaea, Gaia, derpa derp? Someone clarify that for me. I'll do my fair share of research, I promise *3*

But yeah, the journey begins and more secrets revealed,ohemgee!

Okay, lovlies, have a good one, thank you for sticking with me, readers are what makes me so motivated to continue writing and practicing (because, dang dang, I need it for sure)


	3. Oh, Darling Mog

So, I must apologize for this long overdue chapter. Not only is it overdue, it's also too short.

I've been so busy this past year. I hope you forgive me.

This chapter is mostly conversation and travel.

I'm actually going to write and bunch tomorrow and hopefully upload a new chapter. I have some ideas I want to work out, but I'm exhausted (it's quarter after 5 here D:)

Forgive me, I promise to have more tomorrow3

_(and I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes)_

* * *

"So, Lightning, eh? Parent's came up with that or is this some kind of nickname thing you got goin'?" Cid asked, taking a long huff of his cigarette.

It had been an hour since they had left Tifa's bar and said their goodbyes. There was silence mostly among the three, Cid and Cloud exchanging a few remarks every so often about the city and routing their way around town. The streets were decently crowded, full of citizen's of Edge roaming about doing errands and going to work. Lightning looked around but kept her focus on following her guides.

Once they reached the outskirts of the neighborhood, they came to a slight halt and resting point. In front of them, lay rubble ad decay of an old city. Piles of concrete and metal lay in piles while dust and debris collected on the surface.

Cid looked back, threw out the short butt of his first cigarette and lit another from his pack and inhaled.

"So?" he pestered her.

"To you guys, it's Lightning," she answered back. She was reminded of Tifa asking her the same question. She figured she better get used to people second guessing her. She walked passed him and kneed down to what was left of a doorframe lying in the rubble. "What happened here?"

Cloud turned to her. "Shinra did this. This is where you we found you."

Lightning stood back onto her feet and continued to look around. "Why did Shinra do such a thing?"

"Keep out the garbage," Cid answered, shaking his head.

Cloud gave Cid a dirty looked and began to finish explaining. "A rebel group tried fighting Shinra, but once Shinra found out their hiding spot, they blew up the entire sector. Thousands of people died. Only three members of the rebels had been at the hideout that day."

Cid gave Cloud a glare from the corner of his eye. He knew Cloud didn't want to talk about it, though there was a lot more to that story.

Lightning looked at both men holding her breath. She decided it best not to ask any more questions and try to continue their journey. "We should keep going then," she said, kicking over brick rubble.

Everyone nodded agreement and walked through the aftermath without stopping. Passing through Midgar from Edge was a depressing site. People from Edge were not the happiest people and entering the slums of Midgar made Lightnings stomach drop. So many miserable people, it was like they were just wandering spirits, not even real people.

"This place gives me the creeps," she said out loud.

"As it should," Cid said back. He gave a deep sigh and a large plume of smoke left his nostrils. "The slums are full of lifeless folks. I dunno how people can stand to be here."

Cloud glanced down where he was walking. "Some people can't help it." He then looked over to Cid. "We worked hard to help people here."

Cid gave a snort and a laugh. "Yeah, Barret, Tifa and their lot did. You were just hired muscle. Remember, Mr. ex-SOLIDER."

Cloud became more agitated at this point. "You know what really happened, don't be like that. Besides, I stopped taking money when…I…I-." Cloud stopped in mid walk and quieted down. Cid and Lightning took a few steps more before realizing Cloud had paused their journey.

Cid rubbed his face and spat on the ground. Even the crude old man knew he'd crossed the line on this one, though Lightning managed to roll her eyes out of agitation. She crossed her arms and looked lazily at the two men.

"Hey kid, c'mon. No use getting upset over it anymore. Lets keep this train going, a'ight?" Cid said giving Cloud a hardy pat on the shoulder.

Cloud said nothing for a few seconds. "I just keep reminding myself of things that I can't help. Let's mosey."

Cid chuckled, "Remember what I told you? Man up, kiddo." Cloud gave a half smile and began to lead the way around the city.

The long haul through Midgar lead them outside to the city, which wasn't much to behold either. Weeds and dirt surrounded the city while decaying trees remained as the only large objects in the area. Everyone paused to stretch and look around.

"So…uh, Cid…" Cloud began.

Cid already knew where this conversation was going. "I landed the 'Darling Mog' towards the water. We just gotta keep going straight until we see it, not a terribly long walk. Cloud let out a smirk. Cid rolled his eyes. "Shera's idea. She insisted she named the damn thing."

"You're latest model?" Cloud asked.

Cid nodded. "Yup! She's flies like a dream. Just a stupid name, but go figure with the woman who names it."

Cloud shook his head, "Shera's good to you, you shouldn't put her down like that."

Cid grumbled. "Yeah, yeah…whatever."

"Your wife?" Lightning asked.

Letting out an obnoxious laugh, Cid responded, "HA! As if, Shera's my assistant. Marrying her would be like-"

"Cid…" Cloud warned.

Cid sighed. "Alright, she ain't _that_ bad… Sheesh."

Cloud intervened. "Shera's a nice woman. You'll probably end up meeting her,: he said to Lightning. She just shrugged and kept her mouth shut.

After walking for a bit, a a small propeller airplane came to focus near a glum beachside. Cid ran closer to it and checked everything to make sure no one had fooled around with it in the past day.

"Gotta make sure no one's foolin' with my stuff around here. Can't fly near Midgar, I'll get shot down before you can say 'chocobo'." Cid said, checking the engine outside of the plane. "Looks like everything is good to go. Jump in and put on the googles from the compartment in front of you. Nothing worse than getting beach sand in your eyes. Oh, and parachutes are under the seats…For, well, I'm not going to explain it to you two."

Following Cid, Cloud and Lightning sat themselves in the others seats in the plane and waited for Cid to start the Darling Mog and to be on their way.

The ocean between Midgar and Corel was beautiful. The first bit of nature Lightning liked looking at from this world. She was beginning to think that the planet was just a giant mass of destruction and decay. The Darling Mog flew low enough to the water that she could see small wales and porpoises. Some creatures would jump out of the water, as if they were greeting the plane flying over them.

_Serah would've loved this _she thought to herself. Then her felt her hear sink. Serah, she hoped she was still alive on Cocoon. At least somewhere so she found find and be reunited with her only remaining family.

Another hour flew by and land became visible again. Cid looked over and gave a thumbs up to his other passengers. Cloud just nodded in return. As the beach of the next land mass came closer, a smaller town also came to focus. Cid began his preparations for landing and flew over the tiny town below him. A small jerk and the plane began landing in the sand near the town. Some skidding and the plane was now fully touching new soil. Cid turned off the plane and let the propeller continue to spin until it stopped on it's own.

"Ahhh, would you look at that, eh?" Cid said taking off his goggles. "Beautiful Costa del Sol!"

After taking off his goggles, Cloud jumped out of the plane and stretched. "Been a while since I've been here."

Last was Lightning to leave the plane. She began taking visual notes of her surroundings as she untangled her soft pink hair. "Costa del Sol?" she asked.

"A resort town," Cloud answered. "A good place to rest and eat before we make way to Corel. Also a safe place to leave our plane. Not even Shinra would bother us here."

"Heh, that's because even their employees don't even want to bother mucking this place up," Cid retorted.

"Are you sure we have time to waste being here?" Lightning asked with an aggressive tone. She didn't like the fact these men took her to a resort town and planned on staying a while. "I have to get back to Cocoon!"

Cid snarled, "Look, we wanna get rid of you just as fast, so calm you tits and find some food!" He huffed away to the nearest bar he could find. Cloud looked at her apologetically.

"We're not here to play, we just need a place to stop for a bit. No use being hungry or tired. Who knows when we'll be able to do either. We won't be long, okay?" Cloud said to her. She calmed a little bit.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I'm just worried."

Cloud gave a small nod. "Understandable. Let's find where Cid ran off too and take a breather."

Lightning agreed and the made their way deeper into Costa del Sol.

* * *

Tomorrow, more Costa del Sol and you'll find out what's been going on in Corel. Stay tuned :)


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